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Crooked Kingdom

Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo



***This is the sequel to SIX OF CROWS, so SPOILERS ahead!***




Synopsis
After risking everything at the Ice Court, the gang finds themselves double-crossed out of the money they were promised and Inej held hostage. Now back on the streets of Ketterdam, they find themselves up against impossible odds... But when you can't beat the odds, you change the game.


Review
Six of Crows was an amazing book: an Ocean's Eleven type heist set in a rich fantasy world with a gang of six memorable and witty characters. Like, guys, I really liked Six of Crows. And rereading it this year made me like it even more. That's why I can't emphasize enough how much Crooked Kingdom blew my mind.

In Crooked Kingdom, everything I loved about Six of Crows is taken and expounded upon and blown beyond my expectations.

The plot is tense. They come up with these insane plans, things go horribly wrong, and you're wondering, "How the hell are they going to get out?!" and then the next plan they come up with is even MORE crazy, rinse and repeat. The ending is wrapped up so tightly, all the puzzle pieces I didn't even see being set up falling into place. But it's not cliché at all because they EARNED it. And it's not without losses. Horrible, gut-wrenching losses that literally made my cry (my husband, bless his heart, was extremely amused).

What really pulls this story together are the characters and their interactions with each other. Kaz, Inej, Nina, Matthias, Jesper, and Wylan. In Six of Crows, you really start to know and love each character. But in Crooked Kingdom, it just drives it home. You cheer with them, you cry with them, you yell at the author in your head saying "YOU BETTER NOT LET MY FAVORITE CHARACTER DIE LIKE THAT!" and then feel palpable relief when they live... barely. Plus, the humor! The banter between the characters and some of their antics had me chuckling out loud.

But really, Bardugo writes these characters so extremely well. The character growth is just fantastic. They deal with anxiety, PTSD, fear, etc., and Bardugo captures what it's really like to live a life having experienced the things these characters have and how it affects them, but they don't necessarily let it define them. She just really nails it.

It's just an amazingly good book all around: kick-ass characters, richly developed setting, intense plot, awesome writing. Highly recommend.


Rating
I give this book 5 stars


Details
Genre: YA, Fantasy.
Language: Some, but not very strong.
Sex: None. One of the characters has a history of sexual abuse, but nothing graphic is ever described.
Violence: Lots of violence, sometimes graphic, but not overly so.


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